What is Alexithymia?

The inability to understand or express emotions with words actually has a complicated sounding name. This trait is called alexithymia, and it is more common in men than in women. What is alexithymia?

Alexithymia comes from the Greek words lexis and thumos , with a literal meaning of "without words for emotions". Not considered a mental disorder, alexithymia is simply a personality trait and therefore varies from one individual to another, yet is fairly fixed in each individual affected.

However, alexithymia is more than just the inability to express emotions by the use of words. Those who are affected may even have trouble identifying certain feelings in addition to the inability to express those emotions. These individuals may not even understand feelings they are experiencing or may seem to experience less of a variety in their feelings. They truly have trouble understanding feelings experienced by others.

Sometimes alexithymia is caused by neurological deficiencies. This can be from birth defects or physical trauma to the brain. Some cases of alexithymia are cause by psychological trauma. These different causes for alexithymia are sometimes referred to as primary for physical causes and secondary for psychological causes.

Still, no one really knows what causes alexithymia in the first place. If it is due to psychological trauma, you could see where someone may become emotional "flat" and more logical to deal with the situation or situations they have been in.

Some believe imagination is involved in alexithymia. Those who are affected can't find a reason in others and often themselves for emotions that are being felt. They would choose to believe another's emotions are caused by some physical environmental factor, such as uncomfortable shoes, rather than there being an actual emotional cause to a feeling.

Those with alexithymia may choose to work in fields with more hands-on functions, such as labor jobs or in the sciences. They prefer more concrete explanations for the world around them.

Alexithymia is not a mental disorder so is not treatable by medications. It is also not really a disorder of any type, as all individuals vary in their personalities and the way they process information. Those with alexithymia should not be forced to change and should be accepted for who they are, as even though they may not understand their own emotions or the feelings of others, they have other strengths perhaps in areas of logic and reasoning.

THIS ARTICLE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT INTENDED TO BE USED TO MAKE A DIAGNOSIS OR APPLY A LABEL TO ANOTHER PERSON.

FURTHER READING:

Ross Buck, PhD; Spontaneous Emotion; Psychology Today; http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/spontaneous-emotion/201006/emotional-expression-emotional-communication-and-alexithymia